Special Guest Blog: Joel's Thoughts on 8123 Impact

Let's talk about love. What comes to mind when you read that word? Maybe a song. Maybe a food you like. Maybe a fleeting, glamorized feeling that should actually be called infatuation. Whatever it is, I think we can agree that the word "love" is overused. It's all watered down. It's got no flavor anymore. So how are we even supposed to know what it is today?

I hear a lot of people say love is all about a feeling. The "just do what makes you feel good all the time" genre of self-serving talk. I take major issue with that, and here's why:

Feelings and urges are fickle. They come and go as quickly as the tides. Real love is not temporary, and ought not be equated as such. Remember when you were a child and feelings told you it was a good idea to punch that kid in the face who made you mad? Or that it was imperative your parents buy you a pony? It might have made you feel good initially, but then hours later you'd realize how terrible of an idea it actually was. Is love really in the same category as those impulsive feelings?

My point is, if you think love is solely about how you feel, good luck when the desire goes away. Rest assured, it will.

So what is it then? I'm here to argue for authentic love. Difficult love. The real deal. Because more often than not, real love fights with feelings. It swims upstream. It's tough. It's inconvenient. You have to sacrifice. You have to get your hands dirty. You do it even when you don't feel like it—and sometimes it just straight up doesn't feel good at all. It's action, not intention. It's the walk, not the talk. I'm not saying it's always a struggle, but when the party is over and all the excitement is washed away, love chooses to remain.

There's a reason why I'm talking about all of this, so I'll get right to it. As I see it, this charity initiative is about real love, and I'm into it. I saw it when we got together with fans who drove out and offered their time at the Arizona Humane Society to make toys and blankets for homeless kittens. I heard about it when another group went and helped organize medical supplies to ship to countries in need of those basic necessities. All these people could have very well done something a whole lot more instantly gratifying, but they chose to give instead. It makes me genuinely excited to see what comes of this as it continues, and we want to give you a chance to be a part of it. You won't ever fully know your capacity to love until you make sacrifices and engage in the real thing.

Doing life is a lot easier when we do it together. I ask that you consider joining up with us in giving something special to our beautiful world. Will it always be fun? Probably not. Will it be a challenge? Most likely. But there are people and animals who need somebody to show them real love right now. Let's be those people. Let's create a contagious atmosphere of hope and kindness in everything we do. Let's go against the grain and put others first. Let's love for real.